Netanyahu Hit for Linking Building to Terror

Left-wing Opposition Leader has one reason. Nationalist Efrat Council head has another. The words are similar.

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Ernie Singer, 14/03/11 18:04 | updated: 19:48

MK Tzipi Livni

Flash 90

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was criticized Monday from both Left and Right for linking terrorism to Jewish construction.

At the meeting of the Kadima Knesset faction, Party Chairwoman Tzipi Livni referred to Friday night's terrorist murder of the Fogel family in the Samarian Jewish community of Itamar, saying, "The outrage from the murder is that of every citizen of Israel. Children intentionally slaughtered in their beds and it doesn't matter where it happened, not in the level of pain, and not in the level of outrage. The price that the family paid is terrible and the 12-year-old orphan will remain with this heart-rending pain."

Referring to the cabinet decision on Sunday to approve hundreds of housing units in Judea and Samaria, coupled with Netanyahu's words, "They shoot. We build," the Opposition Head, who has consistently opposed construction in the region, said: "The cycle of terror and building that the prime minister is aiming at is not the right cycle. One does not determine long-term policy on the basis of an incident, even the most horrid one." She added, "There will be more time later to deal with diplomatic matters in the broad sense."

Similar words were spoken by Chairman Oded Revivi of the local council of the Judean Jewish community of Efrat, who organized a meeting of ten local council heads from the Likud party in Judea and Samaria with the Likud Ministerial Forum, which was represented by three ministers and two deputy ministers. Revivi, whose community has not received a single building permit from the national government in 11 years, warned the ministers that the party was losing support of Judea and Samaria residents over the building issue.

He explained, "The Likud promised building to the residents and the promise was not fulfilled. The feeling is that the Likud lied to the settlers. We will lose the next election because of lack of credibility."

Regarding Netanyahu's reaction to the Itamar murders, Revivi said, "The government must support building in Judea and Samaria without depending on the murderous nature of the Arabs. Are we going to be captives of the Palestinians? Why does construction have to be in reaction to a murder and not pro-active?"